Railway-switch.



116,858,436, PATENTBD JULY 2i 1901.

F. L. & A. BILLE.

RAILWAY SWITGH.

APPLICATION FILED 111311.29. 1901.

UNITED STATES EPATENT OFFICE.

FRED L. BILLE AND ANDREW BILLE, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON. T

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1907.

Application filed April 29, 1907- Serial No. 370,956.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRED L. B LLE and ANDREW BILLE, citizens of theUnited Statearesiding at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State ofWashing ton, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switches and has particular application tostreet and rapid-transit railways, and to the kind of switch that isopened by an appliance attached to or forming a part of the car orengine running over the track or by a person riding upon such car orengine by means of an appliance attached to the car or engine worked byhand or by electric, steam or other power, applied at will by theoperator of the car or engine and which closes automatically, andconsists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed. V

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the switch, Fig. 2 isa cross-section of the switch taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 isan elevation of a plow or shoe to attach to the frame of a car and whichis operated to open the switch, Fig. 4 is an elevation of the ends oftwo rails adapted to rest against the right end of the switch, Fig. 5 isan elevation of the ends of three rails adapted to rest against the leftend of the switch and comprising the main rail, a switch and a guardrail, Fig. 6 is an elevation of the right end of the switch with thecasing removed, and Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevation of the coil springapplied to the switch as a means of automatically closing the same.

At the juncture of the switch and main rail and between a guard rail 10and the end of the switch rail 11, we provide a casing 12 adapted toserve as a bearing for a cylinder 13, which cylinder extends the entirelength of the casing 12. This cylinder 13 carries the switch 14 mortised15 into the cylinder so. that the same will be secure at the uppersurface thereof and is keyed 16 in that position. To the left of theswitch 14 and subjacent thereto and also secured to the cylinder 13 is asmall rail 17 extending a distance from the left end of the switch, thepurpose of which will be explained herein later on. The guard-rail 10for the full length of the switch is provided at its upper surface witha plate 1.8 in sections, a, b, c, d, with teeth 19 projecting inwardlytowards the switch 14. The switch tapers to a point 20 at the right endthereof and the guard rail 10 bearing the plate 18 is so set that thedistance from the teeth points 19 t0 the side of the switch 14 isuniform the entire length of the switch. The right end of the cylinder13 has a shaft 21 which rests in the bearing 22 and the left end of thecylinder 13 has a shaft 23 which rests in the bearing 24.

When the switch is closed, it is in the position shown in Fig. 1 andtheleft end of the switch 14 engages the tread or main rail 25.Longitudinally arranged in the guard rail 10, adjacent to the cylinder13 and underneath the plate 18 is a cavity 26, filled with waste 27, tobe saturated with oil for lubrication purposes. Cavities 28 are alsoprovided in the cylinder 13 to be filled with waste and saturated withoil for lubrication purposes. Secured to the cylinder 13 about midwaybetween the ends thereof is a projection 29 engaged by a catch 30, thecatch 30 being secured to a shaft 31 passing through an opening 32 inthe guard rail 10 and engaging a coil spring 33 inclosed in acylindrical casing 34 to protect it from the elements and from beinginterfered with by dirt or other substance, a boxing 35 inclosing thecasing 34 as further means of protection and to facilitate an access tothe coil spring and casing when for any purpose it is desirable.

A plow or shoe 36 is provided to be secured to the frame of a car andwhich is to be operated as a means of opening the switch and also toserve in the capacity of a cleaner for the cavity 37, should dirt orother substance become lodged therein. The bearing 38 is adapted to beriveted 39 or otherwise secured to the frame of a car, the plow or shoe36 comprising the lower end of the shaft 40 bearing the coil-spring 41.The force used to throw down the plow or shoe 36 to engage the switchwill be applied at 42and the tension of the spring 41 will elevate theplow or shoe 36 as soon as the force is removed.

The apparatus is adapted for the car to approach the switch at 20 thesame being the right end thereof and the switch 14 comprises a portionof the main track and is passed over by a car in all cases where the caris not thrown onto a side track and when it is desired to side track acar the switch 14 is thrown to one side and not traversed by the car.

When it is desired to side track a car, the operator will throw down theplow or shoe 36 by whatever force is applied at 42, as he approaches theright end 20 of the switch 14, the plow or shoe 36 will enter theopening 43 between the switch 14 and side-track rail 11 spreading theopening 43 by throwing the switch 14 against the guard-rail 10 byrotating the cylinder 13 in its bearing 12, this throws the switch outof the way of the passage of the car and leaves the side-track-rail 11in line of the car to be engaged by the same and the car consequentlycarried onto the side track. After the plow or shoe 36' has passed thelength of the switch 14, leaving the same at the left end thereof, thetension of the coil spring 33 upon the shaft 31 secured to the catch 38engaging the projection 29 upon the cylinder 13, causes the cylinderside track automatically, this opening being provided for the entranceof the flange of the car wheel.

The switch will always be made long enough to avoid a split-switch, longenough so that the fore-truck of the car will hold open the switch untilthe rear-truck has engaged the same.

We wish to place special stress upon the self-cleaning character of thisswitch and the safe guards provided against its workings beinginterfered with by dirt or other obstructions. In case dirt or othermatter enters the cavity 37, the plow or shoe 36 as it passes throughthe same in' opening the switch 14 carries the same before it and out atthe end of the switch. In case dirt or other substance engages thesurface of the cylinder 13 between the switch 14 and the guard-rail 10,the rotation of the cylinder 13 forces the sameover the guard rail 10,andthe teeth 19 upon the plates 18 will cut and separate any-packed orfrozen particles, and so separate the same as to make the substanceeasily crowded out of the way by the repeated thrusts of the switch 14against the same. In the rotation of the cylinder 13 the surface thereofthat is exposed between the switch 14 and the guard rail 10 becomesoiled from the lubrication at the packing 27, this prevents any freezingof dirt or other substance to the surface of the cylinder 13. Thesub-rail 17 is provided as a side bearing for the plow or shoe 36 inorder that the switch 14 may be thrown against the guard rail 10eachtime the switch is thrown and the surface of the cylinder 13lyingbetween the switch and guard rail completely cleaned andlubricated.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is: q a

1. In a railway switch, the combination of a switch point borne by acylinder calculated to rotate in a casing for a hearing, such cylinderbeing longitudinally arranged between a guardrail on one side and theend portion of a switch rail on the other side, the said switch point:adapt ed to be opened by a plow or shoe secured to the frame of a carand engaging such switch point by passing between the same and theswitch rail and throwing the same side-wise by rotating the cylinder towhich the same is secured, the said switch point being closedautomatically by the tension of a coil spring upon a shaft: connected toa catch engaging a projection upon the under surface of the cylinder,substantially as set forth.

2. In a railway switch the combination of a switchpoint borne by acylinder longitudinally arranged between a guard rail on one side and aswitch rail on the other side, such guard rail having 011 its uppersurface, plates in sections, with teeth thereon projecting inwardly towards the switch point adapted to sever and separate packed or frozensubstances accumulating between such guard-rail and the switch point;and upon the surface of the cylinder exposed between the saute,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREI) L. BIBLE. ANDREW llllllrld.

Witnesses:

L L. WESTFALL, MARY Snonnnmcn.

